PREP FOOTBALL: Pumas Face Tall Order in Opener

On Sunday, the Chaparral High football team found out how costly its late-season swoon really was.

The Pumas (7-3, 3-2) discovered they would have to visit Sierra League champion and fourth-seeded Covina Charter Oak (9-1, 5-0) Friday in the opening round of the CIF Southern Section Inland Division playoffs.

This first-round pairing features two highly regarded programs that have combined for three CIF championships since 2008. Only one will advance to the quarterfinals.

Neither head coach is particularly thrilled about seeing the other so early in the postseason.

“We were a little disappointed, because we think they are a great team,” Chaparral coach Ryan Tukua said. “We were hoping for a little bit different draw.”

Said longtime Charter Oak coach Lou Farrar: “We kind of thought being the No. 4 seed, we wouldn’t be picking up a third-place team that was 7-3. That’s what happens. CIF, when they fill out the bracket, they do some strange things sometimes.

“They are the best third-place team I have ever seen,” Farrar said.

Just two weeks ago, the Pumas were rolling through the season at 7-1 and were ranked fourth in the Inland Division poll. However, Chaparral ended the year with crushing losses to Southwestern League rivals Murrieta Valley (41-31) and Vista Murrieta (38-0), sinking the Pumas to a third-place finish.

Despite the Pumas’ recent woes, the players feel they have shown the capability of beating California’s best by virtue of their 40-30 Week 3 win over Oceanside, the No. 14-ranked team in the state.

On Monday, tight end/nose guard Patrick Clifford, outside linebacker Cameron Gamble, offensive tackle Matt Grieb and multipurpose player Chris Stratton were some of the seniors that addressed the team to accentuate the precious nature of its current playoff opportunity.

“We needed to talk to the team as a whole and remind everybody what this is all about, how this is a new season,” Clifford said. “How the seniors and a lot of guys aren’t going to play again and this season is for them. It’s for us really to make it last because we don’t want it to end at (game No.) 11. We want to go all the way to Week 14.”

While the players have rallied together this week, the Pumas will need to put together a sharp effort to knock off a Chargers team that hasn’t allowed more than 14 points in any of their nine wins.

Charter Oak boasts a strong front seven, which is spearheaded by its linebacker corps. Farrar says all four of his linebackers have the talent to play at the collegiate level.

“In the front seven, they are all about 6-3, 225 (pounds) it seems like,” Tukua said. “They don’t give up many yards on the ground.”

The Pumas have run the ball 75 percent of the time this year, as running back Justin Harris has enjoyed a banner season with 1,453 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns. Tukua says the offense will need to create first downs in other areas to triumph over Charter Oak.

“They bring a lot of guys in the box, so we’re going to be a little bit more creative in what we’re doing and try to get our athletes in space a little bit more to create some holes,” Tukua said. “The last six quarters, we have not thrown the ball very efficiently and that has kind of hindered us. We are working on some things to improve (today) because we know we are going to have to pass. At least (to) keep them honest defensively, or else they are going to bring too many guys for us to block.”

The Chargers offense also poses matchup problems as they have an explosive, breakaway back in Aaren Vaughns (1,528 yards) and a wide receiver in Bryce Bobo, who is drawing interest from a pair of Pac 12 schools.

“They are more of a spread offense of all the teams we’ve played,” Gamble said. “They don’t try to pound the ball as much. They are more fancy around the edge. They have quicker guys.”

Farrar believes Chaparral’s size in the front seven matches up favorably with his undersized offensive line. Tukua lauded the recent play of senior linebackers Gamble and Kyle Jones, integral parts in the Pumas’ front seven.

“This team is as physical as any team we have faced all year,” Farrar said. “We are going to have to play our best game.”